85 years ago: Redstone Arsenal decision set Huntsville’s future

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Friday marks the 85th anniversary of an announcement that would forever change Huntsville: the U.S. Army’s decision to locate what became Redstone Arsenal.

As the U.S. prepared for the possibility of entering World War II in the spring of 1941, the Army was searching nationwide for the site of a new chemical munitions plant. Huntsville was competing against several other locations, and the future of the installation hinged on whether Army leaders would choose this community.

A former Redstone Arsenal historian said one key decision helped set Huntsville on the path it’s still following today.

The historian said Lawrence Goldsmith played a pivotal role in convincing the Army to recommend Huntsville — a move that later drew additional commands, including the Ordnance Corps, and helped shape the base as it exists now.

Officials say it was inside a downtown building where Goldsmith wrote the letter documenting the Army’s plan to recommend Huntsville — weeks before the news became public. Just a few blocks away, Army officials stayed at the Russell Erskine Hotel during their visit — a place many believe left a lasting impression.

The decision was made July 1, 1941, but the announcement didn’t reach Huntsville until July 3. That day, fire trucks rolled through town delivering a special edition of The Huntsville Times, spreading the news across the community.

Historians mark July 3 as the day Huntsville officially learned Redstone Arsenal was coming — and the moment a single decision began reshaping North Alabama for generations.

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